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buyers guide

Best Boost Mobile Phones 2021

Best Boost Mobile phones Source: Android Central

Best Boost Mobile Phones Android Central 2021

Boost Mobile is one of the best MVNO carriers that focuses on value for the dollar. Formerly part of the Sprint network, new customers are moving over to T-Mobile's far more robust network. The plans are super affordable, which is why Boost is so attractive. We've got our roundup of the best Boost Mobile phones you can buy to use on Boost's network including the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE, our top choice.

Best Overall: Samsung Galaxy S20 FE G780F
Best Battery: Moto G Power | 3-Day Battery1
Best Runner Up: Samsung Galaxy A21
Best Value: Moto G Fast
Best Budget: Samsung Galaxy A11
Best Stylus: LG Stylo 6
Best Unlocked: Google Pixel 5 - 5G Android Phone

Best Overall: Samsung Galaxy S20 FE

Galaxy S20 FE in Cloud White Source: Hayato Huseman / Android Central

At the end of 2020, Samsung released its best value phone of the year. There were better Samsung phones and there were cheaper Samsung phones, but the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE combined the best features for the best price. It became a new flagship killer on its own. Samsung scaled back a little on this phone, but in completely forgivable places.

You've still got a gorgeous 6.5-inch, 120 Hz display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 processor, 6GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage. You've got a three-camera setup with ultrawide, main, and telephoto sensors. That includes "Space Zoom" of up to 30x hybrid zoom.

Overall, the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE was one of the best phones released last year. It got rave reviews from basically anyone who looked at it. You would be hard pressed to find something bad to say about it.

Pros:

Full HD+ Display with 120 Hz refresh rate
Snapdragon 865 processor
Expandable storage
Amazing camera array

Cons:

No headphone jack
Plastic body

Best Overall

Samsung Galaxy S20 Fe

Samsung Galaxy S20 FE G780F

All the best compromises

The Samsung Galaxy S20 FE is the best phone you can buy on Boost mobile. It is the best combination of features and price you can find on any carrier.

Best Battery: Moto G Power

Moto G Power 2020 Hands On Source: Joe Maring / Android Central

If you're using Boost Mobile for your phone service, chances are you're trying to save money. Boost does a good job of helping you save some cash on your monthly wireless bill, and that makes the Moto G Power a perfect fit as the best overall phone for the network.

Moto G phones have always been about giving you a quality experience at a reasonable price, and that's exactly what the G Power does. In spite of a super low price tag, the Moto G Power manages to deliver a great Full HD+ display with slim bezels, reliable performance for most tasks, and a trio of cameras that are perfectly adequate for Twitter and Instagram. You even get a 3.5mm headphone jack, expandable storage, and a water-repellent coating.

All of that's great, but what takes the Moto G Power up a notch is its battery life. With a 5,000 mAh capacity, you can get between two and three days of use on a single charge. We aren't as psyched about the limited update support or the lack of NFC for Google Pay, but all-in-all, this is a fantastic device for using Boost service.

Pros:

Full HD+ display looks really good
Snappy performance
Three-day battery
Good cameras for the price
Clean software with fun features

Cons:

Only promised one software update
Doesn't have NFC

Best Battery

Moto G Power

Moto G Power | 3-Day Battery1

Three-day battery life!

The Moto G Power stands out as a phone that can last you three days. That's incredible in this day and age.

Best Runner Up: Samsung Galaxy A21

Samsung Galaxy A21 Lifestyle Source: Samsung

Samsung's low-end lineup is anchored by the Samsung Galaxy A21. You'll notice the inclusion of the word "galaxy" in the name. That's important because Samsung promises four years of updates to all of its Galaxy-branded phones, including the A-series. For a phone leaning toward the low end of the Android spectrum, that's not bad.

The phone has a Mediatek Helio P35 on the inside, along with 3GB of RAM and 32 GB of onboard storage. Those aren't the most impressive specifications, but if you're looking for value for the dollar, that'll do. You still get Samsung's Super AMOLED screen at FHD+ resolution. It gets a little grainy at lower resolutions, but it's very fair for the price.

Expandable storage is always a win, so pop in a microSD card, and you're off to the races. The quad-camera setup on the back isn't too shabby either, though it's certainly not Samsung's greatest. All the same, you're getting a lot of value here for your dollar.

Pros:

Super AMOLED display
Expandable memory
Quad camera setup

Cons:

Only 32GB of storage
Grainy playback at lower resolutions

Best Runner Up

Samsung Galaxy A21s

Samsung Galaxy A21

Off by one letter

The Samsung Galaxy A21 is not quite the phone its S21 sibling is, but it's also about one-fifth the cost.

Best Value: Moto G Fast

Moto G Fast Source: Joe Maring / Android Central

The Moto G Fast is an interesting phone. It has a lot in common with the Moto G Power mentioned above, but it makes a few spec cuts across the board to hit an even lower price point. It's not as well-rounded as the G Power is, but if you're looking to spend as little as possible, it's worth bringing into the conversation.

So, what gets cut with the Moto G Fast compared to the Moto G Power? The display resolution is lowered to HD+, you have less RAM and storage, and the battery is decreased to 4,000 mAh. Those certainly are cuts to keep in mind, but for most folks, the Moto G Fast still manages to offer a user experience that's enjoyable and fun to use. You still get the same great Motorola build quality, clean software, expandable storage, and the almighty headphone jack.

We'd urge you to splurge for the Moto G Power if you can afford it, but if the G Fast is more in-line with your budget, it's a solid handset given just how cheap it is.

Pros:

Battery is great
Good day-to-day performance
Feels very sturdy
Headphone jack
Expandable storage
Super competitive price

Cons:

Only HD+ display
No NFC
Only gets one update

Best Value

Moto G Fast

Get more for your money

Like the idea of the Moto G Power but wish it cost less? That's exactly what you get with the Moto G Fast!

Best Budget: Samsung Galaxy A11

Samsung Galaxy A11 Lifestyle Source: Samsung

Speaking of affordable phones, another we recommend putting on your shortlist is the Samsung Galaxy A11. The A11 is one of the cheapest phones in Samsung's lineup, striving to offer a reliable Android handset without making folks spend more than necessary.

When dealing with a phone this cheap, it's important to go into it with the right expectations. The Galaxy A11 has its faults with a limited processor, lower-resolution display, middling cameras, and more. However, in the context of how much the A11 costs, it's understandable. Samsung didn't design a phone like this to be the next big thing. Instead, its purpose is to be a functioning smartphone that can run apps, make calls, and send texts while being as cheap as possible.

Given all of that, you do get some nice features with the Galaxy A11. It has a large 4,000 mAh battery, charges via USB-C, has a 3.5mm headphone jack, a fingerprint sensor, and Samsung's feature-rich One UI software.

Pros:

Modern design
Fingerprint sensor
Generous 4,000 mAh battery
USB-C charging
Headphone jack
One UI software

Cons:

Weak processor
Display is only HD
Cameras are just OK

Best Budget

Samsung Galaxy A11

For the tightest of budgets

Money can be tight, and if it is for you, the Galaxy A11 stands out as a solid Android phone that keeps costs low.

Best Stylus: LG Stylo 6

Lg Stylo 6 Lifestyle 2 Source: Jeramy Johnson / Android Central

Not every phone with a stylus has a Samsung logo on it. Indeed the LG Stylo 6 not only has a stylus, and a place to keep it, but it's also available on Boost mobile, and it doesn't cost nearly as much as a Samsung phone with the same attributes. Meet the LG Stylo 6, which has a beautiful build and a massive 6.8-inch screen. The battery lasts for days and days. Right off the bat, it's an attractive package.

Where the phone starts to show its price point is in the performance department. Apps that are held in memory work fairly well, if a bit slow. Apps that aren't held in memory can take a long time to open - up to nine seconds. You definitely will not be doing any gaming on this phone. Nor will you be charging wirelessly or making NFC payments, since this phone lacks both of those coils.

The main reason to buy this phone is if you want a stylus that is stored inside the phone. The stylus performs quite well. It's very useful for screen-off note-taking, and navigating hard-to-tap places on web pages or apps. There's certainly an argument to be made for using a stylus on a smartphone, so we wouldn't judge you at all for picking this phone up.

Pros:

Great Price
Beautiful hardware
Great battery life
Built-in stylus

Cons:

No NFC
No wireless charging
Sluggish performance

Best Stylus

LG Stylo 6

Return of the styli

The LG Stylo won't set any speed records, but if you're jonesing for a stylus that's stored in the device without paying a premium, the LG Stylo 6 is a great option.

Best Unlocked: Google Pixel 5

Source: Daniel Bader / Android Central

Boost Mobile is in a weird place. Coming off the T-Mobile/Sprint merger, Boost mobile moved over to Dish Network. While existing customers are still using the old Sprint network, new customers are using T-Mobile's network with Boost as the MVNO. That means that many unlocked phones with network compatibility to T-Mobile can come over and ride the Boost wagon.

One such phone is the Google Pixel 5, but this entry is more to let you know that most unlocked phones can come over. Boost mobile even has a checker you can run so you can see if your phone will work or not. So while we're here, let's talk about the Google Pixel 5. This is Google's best smartphone to date and it comes packed with everything you need for an amazing Android experience. It's the first phone that will get new updates to Android, and it's clean. There's no skin nor bloatware. And the performance is super silky smooth, regardless of what you're doing with it.

In the US, this phone costs more than abroad, because Google included mmWave hardware which costs a lot to include, and the phone is only available in two colors, so there's not a lot of variety there. But, if you're looking for the best experience Google can offer, look no further than the Google Pixel 5.

Pros:

Stock Android
Great battery life
Amazing camera setup

Cons:

5G "tax" in the US
Only available in two colors

Best Unlocked

Google Pixel 5 - 5G Android Phone

Pure Android

The Google Pixel 5 is Google's best phone yet with amazing battery life and camera and silky-smooth performance that will make you drool.

Bottom line

At the end of the day, it's hard to argue that the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE is the best phone you can buy from 2020. It has everything including a powerful processor, great battery life, an amazing camera, and a low price. Samsung cut all the right corners to bring this phone to market at the right price, and it hit the ball out of the ballpark.

If Samsung is not your cup of tea, but you still want to be on Boost, you can bring over your own unlocked phone and sign up. We recommend the Google Pixel 5 if you're looking for a new unlocked phone. The Google Pixel 5 is Android the way Google wants it to be, and it's just so smooth, you'll think you're using a phone that's twice as powerful.

Plus, the camera setup you get with the Pixel 5 is top-notch. Google has left most of its competitors behind in terms of sheer software processing of images. What that means is, you can pull out your phone in almost any condition and the photo you take will be great. You can't say that for most other phones out there. Google has the power to get it done. Boost has the power to make sure you don't pay too much in the process.

Credits — The team that worked on this guide

Joe Maring is Android Central's Senior Editor and has had a love for anything with a screen and CPU since he can remember. He's been talking/writing about Android in one form or another since 2012 and often does so while camping out at the nearest coffee shop. Have a tip? Reach out on Twitter @JoeMaring1 or send an email to joe.maring@futurenet.com!

Adam Doud has been writing and podcasting the mobile tech space for almost a decade. When he's not writing for Android Central, he hosts the Benefit of the Doud podcast, spends way too much time on Twitter, and redesigns his office space over and over.

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